Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 77's

Immediately after the final whistle, Nero and his teammates left the stadium. They don't even replace their gear first.

It was almost 1pm when their match with Borussia Dortmun ended. The other semi-final between VfB Stuttgart and Atletico Madrid's youngster will start at exactly 14:00. Both teams are already occupying the dressing room to begin their match preparation. That left the RSCA Youth Academy players with nowhere to change their match fixtures.

The squad walked out of the Indoor Skonto Stadium, still wearing their sweatshirt. They walked through the brightly lit tunnel to the gate with haughty steps, looking like they had the whole world, chatting about the highlights of the match.

Nero also walked with a Cheshire cat grin on his face. His mind thought of some decisive moments in the match. His team made it to the final and stayed one step away from becoming champions.

He is just one step away from gaining a sizeable amount of exp points plus tournament titles that are rare in the young careers of many professional players.

He could not help but recall some parts of his previous life that seemed to have originated from a century ago.

In his previous life, his parents died when he was only seventeen, leaving him struggling to stay in school. He then went out and started looking for a local club to accept him. But, he still failed due to repeated injuries that started when he was involved in an accident two years earlier.

He then fell into a period of depression, taking local drinks and drugs regularly to avoid his problems. His sports career seems to be over, and many consider it a lost case. However, in a fortunate fate, he managed to reach the professional level in Jakarta City after receiving help from a retired Indonesian national team player.

Boaz Solossa, the player in question, has shown him a way to overcome the problem of repeated ankle injuries by playing smarter. He has managed to develop a unique playing style from his previous life by following that advice. He has learned to do more with the ball with one touch than running past defenders. That was how he managed to develop high-level ball control and his passing ability two attributes that continued to help him well even in his new life.

He is able to sit in the defensive midfield and release passes that split the defence to help his team win the game without running excessively. He is similar to the upcoming Maestro, showing a lot of promise because of his tactical vision on the pitch. That is the reason Jakarta City FC offered him a contract, even when it came to knowing he was filled with injury and addiction issues.

Nonetheless, he had wasted the opportunity by returning to his old habits. A glass of wine, a little Cannabis sativa is how the fall begins again. And before he could benefit from his success, his career ended abruptly. What happened next was an event he did not want to remember.

But when he thought it was all over, he had been given a second chance. Mysteriously, he travels back in time accompanied by a system, to a time where he manages to seize opportunities.

Since then, he has worked relentlessly to achieve his previous life goals of being a pro in European leagues.

Things couldn't work better. He now felt a deep sense of happiness on the pitch as he was no longer afraid of injuring a weak ankle. Due to some system advantages, he is tougher, more agile, and more clinical with the ball than he has ever done in his previous life.

With his unique style of play, he managed to secure a contract appointment from European side Anderlecht before turning eighteen. And most importantly, his junior team had just qualified for the Riga Cup finals. Nero is in cloud nine.

Even with a system, he understood that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary was a little extra hard work. He must continue to work to exceed his own limits. He intends to be the kind of athlete who became a better version of himself in the past as he advanced through the years.

Nero felt like he could rise to the top with his system in hand. All he needed to do was gain more experience points and maintain his work ethic, and eventually, the entire world would be under his feet.

"The reporters are waiting for us once again." Nero was split from his shadow by the shouts of his teammates as they approached the gate.

"What's the point of reporters looking for us when Coach Marcel keeps turning them down?" Stefan grumbling. "It's troublesome," he sighed while shaking his head.

Nero tilted his head and saw many people, some with cameras and microphones, waiting near the gate. They began scouting the RSCA Youth Academy squad soon after their win against Zenit in the quarter-finals.

The RSCA team continued towards the gate, trudging past the reporters, who had been eliminated by the technical team. The reporters in Riga looked very polite and did not chase after the players as they passed by.

As the troops exited the indoor stadium, Nero felt a cold wind caress his skin, making him cold to the bone. The sky above was washed in a gray tone. The watery light illuminated the thin parts until brilliant.

Nero alternated between observing his boots move over a perfectly frozen concrete slab of pavement, flat and square, and observing the mesmerizing interaction between the clouds and the sun above.

His constant footsteps made his gaze return to earth, pulling his mind into the present. Nero is delighted that all Riga Cup matches are being held indoors. He will have trouble playing in the cold.

As usual, a group of travelling fans, including friends and family of the RSCA Youth Academy players, were waiting for them outside the arena. Nero saw Maria, his sister, and their other traveling classmates in the small crowd. It is customary for the squad to greet their 'fans' right after every game. However, on that day, Coach Marcel cut short the reunion.

"Hurry up and get on the bus" cried Coach Marcel. "You need to get out of the cold as quickly as possible. You will get time with your friends and family after the tournament. For now, I need you all on the bus."

Nero smiled slightly at Maria and her other classmates, waving his hands, before boarding the bus. The other players followed, with a new urgency.

After taking their place on the bus, the players removed their boots and shin guards, vaporizing the glass windows. Coach Marcel stood up to speak to them.

"OK, guys," he said, his voice husky as he shouted commands over his voice during the game. "I'm proud of you, and I want you to enjoy this victory. We made it to the final." He raised his voice towards the end.

Cheers erupted.

Coach Marcel raised his hand to silence and immediately accepted it. "Borussia Dortmund are a tough team to beat" he said, half-smiling. "They're a much stronger team than you'd expect from me. However, you manage to stay focused despite facing relentless attacks for a full 90 minutes. You all play as a team, and Nero played well, as always, scoring our two goals."

"Damon and our centre-backs, plus the others, stopped us from conceding a lot of goals!" Nero shouted, interrupting the coach. He doesn't like being chosen as a match hero. It is possible that it could have a negative impact on their teamwork during the final.

"And there, our star is afraid of being the center of attention once again" Stefan cut.

"He didn't even want to be recognised for scoring," rhymed Isaac.

Everyone, except Nero, laughed.

Coach Marcel smiled and raised his hand. "Nero has a point" he said in an amused tone. "You all played well in this match. Damon is amazing at keeping goal. Ryandi, Maguel, Larsen, Isaac and others were hungry for victory and played in top form today. You all have that hunger the determination needed to win. And that's a lesson for us. As long as we stay focused, we can achieve whatever we think. And that's how we win trophies."

More cheers erupted, and Coach Marcel raised his hand once more. "For now, let's move to the hotel, clean up, take our lunch, and rush back to watch the next semi-final match" He paused for a moment, glancing at his watch. "We only have about an hour left before the game starts. So, you have to hurry." He added, his tone turned grim.

"Yes, coach," the players replied in unison.

The coach sat down as his driver put on the bus gear, and they sang all the way back to the hotel.